Strange corpse

I didn’t know her. She just contacted me through social media stating she urgently needed my assistance. According to her, I was the only one who could help. She wanted me to inspect a body but warned me that the details would shock me. I told her, as an experienced Forensic doctor, nothing could surprise me any more. She insisted this was something unique.

I agreed to help her. I don’t know why. It must have been the way she described the matter.

When she gave me the address I grew sceptical. It was a home address. I thought she needed my assistance in a forensic case. Why would she invite me to her apartment? Though, I was not surprised. I’ve had some strange experiences in the past with women. They always thought Forensic doctors were fascinating and wanted to know just how dangerous the job was. But I always disappointed them because I never revealed anything about my work.

I had many doubts about the girl and her request yet, strangely, I visited her.

I entered her apartment.

She led me to her bedroom.

I followed her but I was planning to leave soon.

I stopped. I spotted the sheet on the floor in the middle of her bedroom. It was covering something. The shape could not have been an entire body. Perhaps an animal of some kind? Perhaps this was a joke?

‘Are you ready for this?’ she said, her voice grave. She was a beautiful woman yet something about her kept me alert.

I nodded.

She uncovered it and…

‘This is…’ I had no words.

‘It should have turned into dust by now. I want to know what’s keeping it together.’

‘It’s…this is not what I expected!’

I looked at the mummy. It was disfigured, deformed and crawled in its own body. A wooden stake was stuck in its chest. This was not even the strangest part. The mouth was wide open and the teeth were clearly exposed. They looked abnormally long.

I leaned over the body.

‘Those must be fake!’

‘I haven’t brought you here to test the authenticity of the body.’

‘I’d like to take a few samples…’

‘As long as everything you test is done here. Nothing leaves this apartment,’ she interrupted.

‘You didn’t mention this before! I can only run tests in my laboratory!’

‘The only thing I want you to test is what’s keeping it whole. It should have been dust by now.’

‘What do you mean?’ It was the second time she mentioned that and it confused me.

She avoided my gaze.

‘Where did you find this? This belongs in a museum…’

‘I haven’t foun…’ She stopped, her jaw twitching. She was irritated. Had she expected more from me?

‘It looks extraordinary. I can’t even say if it’s female or male. The cause of its death…’ I studied the wooden stake.

‘I know very well what the cause of death is!’ she spat. ‘I know it better than anyone else.’ A grimace surfaced upon her face. I wondered what was scarier, the mummy or the girl?

‘It’s mummified. It can’t have been alive yesterday!’ I found it insane just mentioning it.

‘Do not bother yourself with it. I only need an answer to my question.’

‘I will go to my lab and bring some tools,’ I said trying to conceal my fear. I wasn’t even sure how to begin investigating this.

‘All right,’ she simply said, ‘I’ll be here.’

A few moments later I was sitting in my car. I hadn’t started the engine yet. I was trying to understand what had just happened. The mummy, the wooden stake, the teeth, the girl and her strange behaviour…

A text message shook me.

It was the girl.

‘The corpse has just turned into dust. I no longer need your assistance with this one. Perhaps with the next…’

Next? A part of me wanted to immediately go back to her apartment and ask for clarification. And yet, I instinctively started the engine and drove away denying all I had seen and heard. Perhaps it was one of those late April Fool’s Day jokes…or perhaps she was going to text me again.